The 20th Century had just started and baby boy names and baby girl names reflected the hopes and dreams for a prosperous era. The romance of the 1890s lingered on and new parents felt upbeat about the future.
Baby names often take on the flavor of the times. In 1904, the musicals by George M. Cohan had everyone singing "I'm a Yankee Doodle Boy," and "Give My Regards to Broadway." "Mamzelle Champagne" was pulling in the crowds at the Madison Square Theater on Broadway. The mood was light-hearted, and may have been responsible for the musical-sounding names of the times such as Bertha, Rose, Marie, and Harry.
From 1900 to 1909 there was a mood of daring in the air and unrest around the world. There were stirrings of revolution in Russia and full-blown revolution in Panama. The Victorian era came to an end in 1901 with the death of Queen Victoria, one of the last great monarchs.
But good times were here as well. In 1903 the Wright brothers made their first successful flight. In 1904, construction started on the Panama Canal. And in 1905, Albert Einstein and renowned physicist and mathematician Mileva Maric, set the world on fire with the Theory of Relativity. The 10 top baby boy names from 1900 to 1909, in order of popularity, were John, William, James, George, Robert, Joseph, Frank, Edward, and Thomas. They were strong names and all were names of saints.
John (Hebrew) means "honorable;" William (English) means "staunch protector;" James (English) means "steadfast;" George (Greek) means "loving the land;" Charles (German) means "well-loved;" Robert (English) means "brilliant;" Joseph (Hebrew) means "supported by God;" Frank (short for Francis) comes from the Latin and means "free spirit;" Edward (Anglo-Saxon) means "defender;" and Thomas (Aramaic) means "twin."
As for the top baby girl names of 1900 to 1909, they, too, were powerful yet lyrical names that would have been found in most of the songs of the day. Just saying these beautiful names makes your heart sing. They are the names of saints, empresses, queens, painters and poets.
These names, in order of their popularity, are Mary, Helen, Margaret, Anna, Ruth, Elizabeth, Dorothy, Marie, Florence, and Mildred.
Mary (Hebrew) means "spiritual;" Helen (Greek) means "beautiful;" Margaret (Greek) means "treasured pearl;" Anna (Greek-Latin form of "Hannah") means "loving;" Ruth (Hebrew) means "loyal friend;" Elizabeth (Hebrew) means "beauty;" Dorothy (Greek) means "gift of God;" Marie (French) means "spiritual;" Florence (Latin) means "flowering blossom;" and Mildred (Old English) means "gentle."
The first decade of the 20th Century ended the way it started - on a high note. The era of the motor car was just around the corner. People had jobs and they had food on the table. The future looked bright.
The wonderful baby boy names continued into the next decade unchanged. The musical baby girl names even added a few new names in the 1910s.
Benedict Manovill is a leading name historian and calligrapher. His works are in collections around the world. His custom-made name scrolls are a unique and treasured gift. To learn about your own name, visit his Web site at http://www.giftscrolls4u.com
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